The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1887-01-25

top Of which no starod at lilly. In an
other corner Mr.. johnson was trying to
smile ut the sallies of a young lady at
his side, and also covcrtly watching Til
ly, who was an illustration of perpetual
motion. Between talking, laughing,
dancing and flirting, she had not a sec
ond to spare. She smiled most swcctly
on her W adorcrs, but managed to van
ish like n spritc from their Immediate
ncighhorhood. In vain they made mo
umcnts of themselves. lilly would not
notice. But, as fate would nave it, sho
presently tore Il breadth of her dress
across.
For tho moment, in her annoyance, she
forgot everything but the accident, and,
with an apology to her partner, whirlcd
out Of the Virginia reel md started for
her W room. How long she was pin
ming up that breadth she never knew.
When she dared to stay away nc longer
she put out her lamp and slowly-very
slowly-began to dc:ccnd the stairs. OF
stair, upon which she sat down and dole
fully regarded tho lines of light under
the parlor doors, as if they would help
her to a conclusion.
1t was but a moment that she sat there,
but in that moment she was terribly
startled by u sudden movement close by
her in the dark. Her hand was claspcd
In two Others, and a voice whipcrcd:
"Tilly, l want my answer. Aren't you
going to give it to mc?'
Miss McEwcns was struck dumb.
"Why don't~you spcak2 / know it's
you;" and 4 daring hand touched the
short curls m Tilly's forehead.
Miss McEwcns would have given a deal
to have been rs sure of the identity of
the qucstioncr. If he would only speak
aloud, or if some one would open one
of the parlor doors!
"Tilly"-this time the whisper was
urgent-''it's now or never with me. If
you don't give me an up-and-down Yes
or NO you'll never have the chance
again"
"Well, thcn-ycs."
The next instant there was an cxcla-
nation, somewhere beyond in the dark
space, that sounded very profanc. The
coat collar Of the arm of the individual Ia
nearest lilly was seized by a third per-
son and the lover she had just accepted
was whirlcd violently against the oppo-
site wall. There was a scufflc in the
dark.
lilly, little coward that she was, ut
tered Il loud scream and ran back up
stairs as fast as her feet would carry her.
Only two hours, yet it seemed five to her,
before the door was shaken and Polls
voice demanded admittancc. Tllly spranp
to the door.
"Oh, Poll" was her first anxious qucs-
ton, ''did either of them hurt the other
and which did it?"
"All l know is Johnson's down stairs
now, bound to wait till he sees you; and
Jones left doublc-quick after the sct-to.
Both of 'em was mad cnou,h, if that's
all, but they want hurt to speak Of"
Once within the door of the deserted
and disordcrcd parlor, Miss McEwcns
did not long remain in ignorance as to
who her accepted lovcr was. Two arms
were thrown around her, and two lips
shaded by Il black mustachc were ,roSSrd
to her own. Whether Miss McEwcns
thought rcgretfully of the blue eyes that
were lost forever, I cannot tell. At any
rate she smiled ,adiantly enough ( o make
Mr.. johnson forget his bruised shoulders
and sides, and when, half an hour later,
Mr.. johnson exclaimed, 'How on earth
Jones ever got into that hall without my
knowing it, I can't think-and what was
the good of his pitching into me7' she
only answered with n laugh:
"Oh, never mind Jones'"
HE couldn't stand it to hear you say
Yes to me, Tilly.".
81 suppose he thought I meant to say
Yes to him" was the innocent rejoindcr.
"lIc might have know better"
The Spanish Onion.
The onion, says Alfred Trumbuil in
the New York NeWs, is rs staple n com